Torture the hero, why has the Demon King's castle collapsed again?

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Erwin stepped off the carriage onto the solid ground, gazing at the dark entrance to the forest. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he felt an unprecedented pressure.

"And what we're about to enter is this 'forest of steel'..."

Jenny followed at the back, carefully stepping down the stairs. Looking at Elwin, who was standing there in a daze, she knew that everyone who came to the Savage Forest for the first time was bound to be a little stunned. However, she had been here a few times before. Now, she looked around and found that Shana was not as shocked as Elwin.

Instead, it raised its head, its shattered, fiery red eyes carrying a strange, demonic quality, staring intently into the depths of the sky and clouds.

"Shana, what's wrong?" Jenny asked, puzzled.

"No, it's nothing." Shana shook her head, suppressing her doubts. Just now, she felt as if she had seen some kind of gaze upon her, but when she looked up, there was nothing there.

"It's probably just my imagination—"

A group of paladins began searching for an open space to set up camp on the outskirts of the Savage Forest. They had now stepped halfway into the dwarven territory. Only Elwin and his two companions would be able to enter the forest and meet the dwarven leader, King Turu.

Urged on by Erwin, Shana and Jenny quickly packed their bags and stepped into the Savage Forest.

Only after Shana and her two companions disappeared at the entrance to the Savage Forest, deep within the clouds, did a bewildered eye demon, gleaming with obsidian light, fly out.

"We were almost discovered? As expected of the Hero of Calamity, his eyesight is comparable to the Demon Eyes of the Demon Race..."

a long distance away.

Deep within the Demon Realm lies the Demon King's City.

Swell reluctantly interrupted the projection that was about to show Shana and the others, and the remote connection with the Eye Demon vanished.

It became increasingly aware of how terrifying that Calamity Warrior was; one could tell just from her gaze, which seemed even sharper than Mino's... Her current level was probably no less than Mino's.

"In short, you've all seen it, haven't you?"

Inside the Demon King's castle hall, the eerie white will-o'-the-wisps glowed faintly.

Swell looked at the demons at the Demon Alliance meeting and said, "Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, there is no doubt that a group of royal paladins led by the hero Shana has arrived at the Savage Forest, the dwarfs' stronghold."

"This is clearly no ordinary diplomatic operation. The combination of the extremely vicious Calamity Warrior and Erwin, the king's confidant and Grand Master of the Knights, suggests that King Kur II is about to make a bold move..."

"Dwarves," Kleinna murmured.

"Finally, humanity is also seeking help from its closest allies. What are they planning to do this time?"

Before he could figure out the key point, Swell's voice became serious again:

"It's not just the dwarves."

Its pages turned slightly, revealing even more chilling "knowledge" mixed in:

"According to the surveillance footage from some time ago, the Frostfire Tyrant, the Frost Dragon King Callest, visited the Savage Forest ten days ago—"

Chapter 422 You have a strategy of alliance, I have a Minotaur!

"Even the dragons are involved?"

Kleidina's eyes narrowed, realizing that the problem was far more complex than it appeared.

Although the Kingdom of Kur has established good relations with various races over the past few years through the hero Mino, there is not much friendship between the dwarves and the dragons.

The giant dragons that dwell on the pure white ice peaks and the dwarves who live on the edge of the continent are each other isolated from the world and extremely proud.

There are very few reasons for both sides to take the initiative to make contact.

At present, human intervention has completely clarified the bond between the two: the only one who can unite the dwarves and dragons is the hero of light who bears the title of dragon slayer and has cleared the dwarven dungeon: Mino Lake.

"Dragons, dwarves, and humans..." Kletina felt an immense pressure.

"The only one who can unite them is Mino—there's no mistake: the dwarves, like the dragons, are about to join the war against the demons!!!"

The demons of this lineage have a clear understanding of the situation.

If the human delegation led by the hero could be considered an unintentional act by Prince Ota due to being overwhelmed with other matters...

That Carlest's secret visit, occurring so close together, was enough to demonstrate humanity's determination to launch a counterattack!

"They want to work together to rescue Mino from the Demon King's castle! At the very least, they'll break through the second line of defense and put immense pressure on us! This is troublesome..."

At the long table, Apophis, who held the power of "balance," also realized that something was wrong:

"The dwarves, skilled in crafting weapons, combined with dragons and elite human warriors to form dragon riders, would be an invincible and formidable force that would absolutely dominate the skies."

"In addition to the ever-emerging powerful forces of humanity: the Calamity Warrior who can severely injure a Demon Official with a single strike, the newly born Pope who is constantly consolidating his power, the Ice Saintess who can sublimate the Ice Realm and has a deep bond with Mino, the Warrior of Light who is comparable to Mino despite being a mortal, and the most troublesome one... the hidden Kingdom Morning Star."

"I think I can already smell the scent of a total war—"

Kleidina, the first secretary, fell silent.

Even though the major demons of the Demon King's Castle have made breakthroughs in their own strength, she is not entirely confident in facing the powerful human forces, especially with the involvement of dragons and dwarves. Even if she were to use the power of the Demon King of that time, she would not be able to win.

"No...that won't happen!"

A violent cough, accompanied by a firm tone, emanated from the seat of the Fourth Demon.

A dim, black halo hovered above his head, yet the Plague Angel Freyr's expression remained resolute as he looked upon the demons:

"We must do everything in our power to stop Astrid's sacrifice from being in vain!"

"As long as we can find a way to break the alliance between humans and dwarves, even the most powerful plans will only remain on paper, won't they?"

"Lord Freer is right." The pages wobbled slightly, and Swell chuckled, quickly echoing:

“Under normal circumstances, we would be powerless to interfere with the cooperation between humans and dwarves... But you should know that the key figure who could have brought about the alliance between humans and dwarves is currently imprisoned in the Demon King's city dungeon.”

“Svir.” At the long table, Kletina sensed something: “Could it be that you’ve already made some progress on the details of the cooperation between humans and dwarves?”

"I do have some speculations that being prepared for a rainy day is an instinctive thing for the book demon."

Sitting in the second demon official's seat, Swell's book pages drooped slightly as he spoke:

"Although it was only collected from various rumors and hearsay, there is no doubt that when Mino helped the dwarves clean up the out-of-control dungeons a few years ago, he gained far more than just the friendship of the dwarves."

"It is said that the dwarves will create an incredibly powerful and terrifying strategic weapon for Mino in gratitude."

"Now it seems that the dragons' visit was likely to provide the dwarves with the necessary materials for forging weapons; and the arrival of humans now indicates that the weapon is nearing completion and they will be taking it back to the human capital!"

"These two exchanges have clearly made the relationship between the two sides and the dwarves more friendly. No matter which direction... it is extremely dangerous for us."

"Hmph, that's why we should have wiped out those lowly dwarves a long time ago!" Migo sneered, her golden twin ponytails swaying slightly.

"The weapons forged by those despicable blacksmiths are so powerful that even spiritual energy cannot break them. I've disliked them for a long time."

“Lord Migo.” Compared to Migo’s impulsiveness, Swell, the demon strategist, was somewhat helpless and said, “Such ideas have been carried out before in the history of the demon race.”

"However, the dwarven territory is far more difficult to defend than imagined. The naturally advantageous terrain of the Savage Forest on the surface is secondary; the unfathomable, labyrinthine underground cities are their unshakeable stronghold for survival. A massive army is simply not enough to shake the Savage Forest, and even the strongest individual soldiers will only get lost in the depths of the underground cities... Unless there is an incredibly powerful strategic strike that can almost completely destroy the territory in one blow, no one dares to say that they have the dwarven race under control."

"Therefore, there has always been a saying on the mainland: whoever wins the assistance of the dwarves is as good as obtaining the sharpest sacred artifact in the world."

"But the arrogance of the dwarves is also well-known, and no one can sway them until the appearance of the kingdom's hero of light... Mino."

"Mino, it's mino again—"

Freer was starting to have a headache: "How can he have such great charm that even after being captured, the dragons and dwarves still can't forget him?"

"If one day he manages to turn the Demon King's castle against him, I wouldn't be surprised at all!!!"

Freer, sitting in his seat, was just making a thoughtless remark.

He didn't notice that as soon as he finished speaking, the large butterfly behind Fim, who was in the Ninth Demon Seat, began to sway slightly.

Migo's golden twin tails trembled, and then she guiltily looked away.

Apophis's sword trembled slightly as he recalled the feeling of being summoned by a curse and filled with mythical sword techniques. His magic power gradually weakened, while his holy power gradually increased.

"Cough cough."

At the head of the long table, Klettina coughed a few times, somewhat awkwardly: "In any case, this is our opportunity."

"Since Mino is the greatest source of unity between the dragons and dwarves, then to break the current predicament, we only need to start from the root."

The fragrance of roses in the hall gradually intensified, and Kletina raised her cherry-pink eyes to look at the demons:

"Humans, dragons, and dwarves—if they were to unite, it would likely be the most terrifying alliance on the entire continent. To prevent that future from happening, we only have one choice left:"

"Immediately begin interrogating the hero Mino..."

Chapter 423 The Golden Tree, The Mantra of the Calamity Warrior

"Welcome to the human delegation. I am Manuel, the Silver-Helmeted Dwarf. Please follow me." (Dwarven language)

Two ancient trees, as tall as gates, intertwine to form the entrance to the Savage Forest. Beside the tree roots stands a dwarf in magnificent attire, appearing exceptionally small against the backdrop of the giant trees.

The three men present dared not underestimate him in the slightest; beneath his short stature lay a formidable aura. Erwin immediately stepped forward and returned a standard riding salute:

"So it's Lord Manuel, the 'Invincible Berserker.' Thank you for your hospitality."

Although dwarves are not particularly gifted in combat, once an outstanding warrior emerges, his strength, enhanced by his savage bloodline, is exceptional and in no way inferior to the human heroes of ancient times.

The dwarf king Tulu is even more formidable; it is said that with the best armor and weapons, he could even contend with the dragon king.

"Not at all, it is you who have traveled a long way to get here."

While leading the way, Manuel responded in a very easygoing manner, while Jenny behind him quietly translated the more difficult words.

This relieved Erwin, who was initially a little nervous. It is said that the dwarves are an arrogant race, and they don't even respect humans. But now it seems that it is thanks to the hero Tomino that the other party's attitude towards the human kingdom was not disrespectful in the slightest.

It seems this mission will be much simpler than I imagined...

The moment you enter the forest, you can feel that the light inside is much dimmer. Countless huge ancient tree branches and leaves have long since intertwined, leaving only a few gaps, making it difficult for sunlight to reach the exceptionally hard ground.

But soon, the darkness inside was dispelled by clusters of raging flames.

The interior of the Dwarf Forest is not only not narrow, but quite spacious. Underneath each giant tree are hollowed-out or semi-hollowed-out forging workshops, which are inlaid with quite sophisticated fireproof and healing runes, allowing the trees to thrive while creating a very practical space. Each ancient tree is at least ten meters apart, and there is no obstruction to walking through them.

“Any saplings that didn’t have the potential to grow into giant trees were uprooted one by one during the territory planning stage. After all, the Savage Forest doesn’t need failures of varying quality,” Manuel casually remarked.

Irwin looked up at the sky.

The trunks of the ancient trees were connected by threads of some kind of mithril silver, and one could vaguely sense dark magical fluctuations, which made him secretly shudder.

The dwarves' lifestyle may seem rugged, but it has clearly incorporated many skills that even they know little about. What they are seeing now is obviously a "Skynet" or "surveillance link" formed by the paladins of the royal capital... It is likely that from the moment they entered the Dwarf Forest, their every move has been under the sight of the Dwarf King.

To be able to manage the dwarves to this extent, it's clear, as Prince Ota said, that the dwarf king Turu is definitely not just a reckless warrior.

For some reason, even though Manuel was explaining the many details of the Savage Forest to them in great detail and with great patience, a sense of unease gradually crept into Erwin's heart. He subconsciously compared the implications of such skills being used in combat, or even in war—

"arrive."